Moving advertising-sign.



No. 728,761. PATENTED MAR. 24 1903.

T. P. THOMPSON.

MOVING ADVERTISING SIGN. APPLICATION FILED we. 2, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES;

IN: NORNS PZYERS co. PHOTQ-LITNQ. WASHINGTON D c UNITED STATE FATENT Orrroa.

THOMAS P. THOMPSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MOVING ADVERTISING- SIGN.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,761, dated. March 24, 1903.

Application filed August 2, 1901- $erial No. 70,6521. (No model.) i

p I, Z it may concern.- Be i ,l{no.wn that I, THOMAS P. THOMPSON, 'en, of the United States, residing at Ohithe county of Cook andState of Illihave invented a new and useful Imy'ement in Moving Advertising-Signs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates tomotion-signs; and my object is to provide a construction adapted to specially attract attention in advertising eyeglasses, spectacles, or other like goods kept in stock by oculists, Opticians, and jewelers, the same being hereinafter fully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation showing an open eye, of which the upper and lower lids consist of an outwardly-projecting concavoconvex screen or wall of thin material integral with the surrounding portion of the face of similar material and thickness. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of what is seen in Fig. 1 to illustrate a casing with the back cover removed, the operative parts being shown with in the casing in the position assumed when the eye is open. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection on broken line 10 11, Fig. 2, to illustrate the thickness, shape, and relative position of the outwardly-projecting parts, which represent the stationary concavo-convex upper and lower lids, the part which represents the eyeball, the upper movable lid, and the mechanism for operating the upper lid to give a winking effect. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the part whichrepresents the anterior portion of the eyeball, with the sclera, the iris, and pupil thereof, together with the lower portion of a supporting-bracket. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a plan and a side elevation of what is shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the part which represents the upper movable lid, and in this figure is shown an end elevation of the shaft upon which the lid is secured and an arm attached to the shaft, to which arm connection is' made to a source of power for vibrating the lid. Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively a rear elevation and a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 7.

Similar letters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

The portion A of the face around the open eye viewed from the front is preferablyof a substantially oval contour, but may be of many other different forms, as practice dictates. Normally the eye-opening in the portion of the face A is permanent and represents an open eye, this opening being such in form that it imitates closely the projecting convex upper and lower lids of the natural eye in appearance, as indicated in Fig. 1. In this instance both the upper and lower lids B C are integral with the oval portion of the face A; but the movable upper lid is con- 'cavo-convex on account of being a section of a hollow spherical body. The movable upper lid D is of a size to completely cover the eye-opening and is mounted on a horizontal shaft E, which latter is pivotally mounted at the top end portions of standards F and G, and these latter are secured at the lower end to a common base-board H. Shaft E is relatively so mounted that upper movable eyelid D is adapted to vibrate just clear of the rear surface ofA back of the eye-opening.

Close up to but out of contact with the rear surface of the upper movable lid D is the part 1, Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, whichin this instance is of a concavo-convex shape, and at the central portion of the convex face is represented the iris and pupil of the natural eye, the outer marginal portions representing the sclera. Part I is held in a stationary position, in this instance by means of a bracket J, to which it is secured, the-bracket being fastened at the lower end'portion to baseboard II. Part I is held at such a distance from the rear surface of A to permit the concavo-convex movable upper lid D to vibrate up and down within this interspace, and by thus covering and uncovering the front surface of the par I closely imitate the act of winking.

No particular motive power is necessary to operate the upper lid; but Figs. 2 and 3 represent diagrammatically an ordinary springmotor K, from which a shaft projects having a short crankL mounted thereon. Pin M of the crank is connected to an arm O,longer than crank L, on shaft E by means of rod N,

so that each revolution of the motor-shaft causes shaft E to turn part of a revolution each way and carry the movable upper lid D up and down and imitate the act of winking, as before stated. a

In the construction of the movable upper lid D it being mounted wholly upon one side of shaft E will cause an overbalance, and this is corrected by means of weights P and Q, which are adjustably secured to arms which project outwardly in two directions from shaft E for the purpose of obtaining an accurate adjustment and counterbalance for lids that may be replaced when required.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a device of the character described, a plate having an opening and provided above and below said opening with concavo-convex portions to represent an open eye, a base extending at right angles to the said plate, a concavo-convex stationary plate mounted on a bracket secured on the base back of the opening in the first-mentioned plate with an interspace between the two plates and having the representation of an eyeball thereon, a pair of standards mounted on said base, a shaft journaled in the upper ends of said standards, a movable concavo-convex lid carried by said shaft and adapted to reciprocate in the interspace between the two plates, an arm connected to the said shaft, and means mounted on the base and connected to said arm to actuate the shaft and impart vertical reciprocatory movement to the lid, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, a plate having an opening and provided above and below said opening with concavo-convex portions to represent an open eye, a base extending at right angles to the said plate, a concavo-convex plate mounted on the base back of the opening in the first-mentioned plate and having the representation of the eyeball thereon, standards mounted on said base, a shaft journaled in the upper ends of said standards, a movable concavo-convex lid carried by said shaft and adapted to reciprocate in the interspace betwoqittha two plates, an arm connected to the midfllift,

actuating means mounted on the bilib and connected to the arm on said shaft forrccip: a! rocating the lid in the arc of a circle inji'n'ald' interspace between the plates, andj woights carried by scribed.

THOMAS P. THOMPSON.

YVitnesses:

O. V. THOMPSON, M. K. GLEESON.

said shaft and adjustable toward and away from the shaft to counterbalance the weight of the lid, substantially as de-'- 

